Selector mechanism for electrical



g- 3, 1939- c. F. THOMPSON 2,168,373

SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICAL ROLL CALL OR VOTING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY &

A TTORNEY 7 g- 3, 1939- v c. F. THOMPSON 2,168,373

SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICAL ROLL CALL OR VOTING APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

(9641/1140 5: owxywlw, e BY WA k 1 firm Aug. 8, 1939. c, F. THOMPSON 2,168,373

SELECTOR MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICAL ROLL CALL OR VOTING APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet. 5

102 I A "f INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 8, 1939.

UNITED STATES SELECTOR MECHANISM son ELECTRICAL aom. can. on VOTING APPARATUS Charles F. Thompson, Dumbarton, Va. Application June 3, 1936, Serial No. 83,334

10 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to electrical rollcall or voting systems, such as are used by le islative and other deliberative bodies, and more particularly to an improved construction and system of operation for a commutator device adapted for actuating high speed vote recording and vote counting devices. a

In the past, commutator devices for voting systems were capable of recording and counting only one vote at a time and hence required an unusually long period of time to operate, and

they were not designed for continuous tctalization, and therefore could not cause repeated totals to be shown to the members while they were 16 voting.

In this, and other copending applications of the present series of applications, a new principle is disclosed for operating vote recording mechanism at high speed, which consists of dividing the membership into small divisions so that one vote from each division may be simultaneously recorded, instead of one vote at a time, and so that one vote from each division may be simultaneously stored for counting, instead of counting one vote at a time. The system of my invention provides for continuous totalization so that members or the presiding ofllcer, or both, may be able to follow the trend of the voting as they do under the oral roll call, and so be in position to make or receive appropriate motions, and

to save much valuable time.

Reference is made to the following copending applications for a more complete understanding of the relation of the commutator device of this as invention with respect to the system in which it is adapted for use:

Serial No. 77,039, filed April 29, 1936, Electrical roll-call or voting apparatus.

Serial No. 77,839, filed May 4, 1936, Method and 4 apparatus for electrically recording votes.

Serial No. 87,273, filed June 25, 1936, Recorder mechanism for electrical roll call or voting apparatus.

Serial No. 93,684,

as indicator mechanism for electrical roll call or voting apparatus.

The present invention is directed to a system of operation for and a construction of commutator used to divide the membership into groups so and, accomplish the above results, and because this device operates upon new principles and performs new and varied functions, it will hereafter be referred to as the selector.

Among the objects of this invention are, there- I fore:

filed July a1, 1936, Visual- To provide a selector capable of causing a recording machine to record a plurality of votes simultaneously.

To provide a selector capable of causing a vote counting machine to store a plurality of votes 5 simultaneously in several divisions, and then register the grand totals of the divisions.

To provide a selector capable of being operated for one cycle of operation whenasingletotalization or a single record is required; and capable also of 10 being continuously operated for as long a period of time as may be desired, in order to cause the vote counting mechanism to register repeated totals while the members are voting.

To provide a selector with air dielectric be- 15 tween operating contactors, in order to overcome wear and carbonization of solid dielectric material and consequential breakdown of commutator.

To provide a selector with intermediate contactors, placed between operating contactors, for 20 the purpose of permitting proper use of condensers in eliminatiang sparking.

I attain the above objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig, l is a top sectional view of my selector on 25 lines .l-l of Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 shows a brake or stopping mechanism for arresting rotation of the selector driving motor as soon as current is disconnected therefrom.

Fig. 3 discloses a form of brush or wiper used so with my selector. 7

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of my selector on lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 5 shows a preferred assembly used in my selector.

Fig. 6 discloses the circuits for recording the vote and actuating the vote storing mechanism of the counting devices, and also showsthe spark elimination means for these circuits.

Fig. 7 illustrates the circuits for feeding the 0 record card through the recorder, and sparl; elimination means for these circuits.

Fig. 8 shows the circuits for operating the selector driving motor and the circuits controlling the high speed vote counting mechanism, and 4s spark elimination means for these circuits.

,Fig. 9 illustrates a method of constructing my selector with divided rings instead of solid .rings.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the sequence of action in one operating cycle of the selector.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

, My selector consists of a base casting H, supv porting a series of insulating rings, such as shown method of tie-rod at It, each properly recessed to receive a plurality u of contactors, such as shown at I3 and I4. Rings, such as I2, may be made in the form of complete circles, or they may be composed of ring-sections, such as shown in Fig. 9, which would preferably be assembled in overlapping or brick-wall fashion. A top plate, I5, is placed on top of the rings I2.

The assembly of top plate I5 and rings I2, on casting I I, is accomplished by a series of tie-rods, such as shown at I8. These tie-rods may be screwed into casting I I, but I prefer to hold them therein by the method shown inFig. 5, wherein a set-screw I1 enters notch I8. This construction prevents tie-rods from twisting during assembly, and also permits them to be easily removed for contactor replacement. The top ends of tie-rods I8 are threaded, and equipped with cap-nuts I8, so the entire assembly may be drawn together in the form of a rigid unit. Tierods l8 pass through holes in contactors I 4, but they cannot touch the contactors as they are much smaller than the holes, and both tie-rods and contactors are immovable.

In the center of top plate I5 is a bearing pro- Jection 28, and in the center of casting II is a bearing projection 2I. Journaled in bearings 28 and 2I is the main shaft 22, preferably of square cross-section between the journals. Recessed into shaft 22 and fastened securely thereto, are several arms, such as 23 and 24, which in turn supports the wiper rack 25. The rack 25 is made of insulating material, and fastened thereto by screws such as 28, and square nuts such as 21, are a series of wipers such as 28.

Wipers 28 are of U-shaped construction, so as to connect two adJacent rings of contactors together. It will be seen that the wipers 28 are composed of two individual members, 28 and 38, each having bent-up ears on the contacting portions. It will also be seen that one end of wiper 28 is of. narrow width, 28a, and the other end, 2817, is considerably wider. Wiper end 28a is designed to secure precise timing of circuits, and wiper end 2817 is designed to overlap two contactors. As shown in Fig. 3, an elongated hole 3I, is used for attaching wipers 28 to rack 25, thus providing a means for aligning all wipers,. and if desired to give a lag or lead to the wiper controlling the feeding of the record card through the recorder. The arrangement of wipers described provides nine vote recording circuits in divisions A, B and C; and four control circuits, E, F, G and H, for other functions.

Casting II is equipped with bolt holes 32 for mounting the selector. Projection 20 of top plate I5 is' furnished with a threaded shoulder 33, designed to fit a hole 34 in selector cover 35. Selector cover" is adapted to fit over shoulder 38 on casting II, and to be held in place by the threaded cap 38. The cables of wires from all contactors such as I3 and I4, pass inside of cover 35, through holes such as 38, to the interior of casting base II, and then on to various other units. The selector is therefore protected from dust and unfavorable atmospherical conditions.

Attached to the main shaft 22 is the worm gear 48, which is engagement with worm 4| on motor shaft 42 of motor 43. Operation of motor 43 thus rotates wipers 28 at appropriate speed. The selector is equipped with a device for quickly arresting the rotation of motor 43 when said motors operating circuit isbroken. This device consists of a casting 44, which contains bearing 45, into which is journaied the extended end of motor shaft 42. Mounted on extended end of motor shaft 42 is d'rum 48, designed to be clamped or released by shoes 41, 48. A solenoid magnet 48, is equipped with two plungers, 58 and il, attached to levers 52 and 53, which are pivoted at 54 and 55, and control the movement of shoes 41 and 48. The solenoid 48 is wired in parallel with motor 43, so when motor 43 is energized it is entirely free to rotate, but when it is de-energized spring 58 quickly arrests motion of motor shaft by actuating shoes'41 and 48. When armature of motor 43 is rotating, shoes 41 and 48 are held in proper position by resting on projection 51. The assembly on and including casting 44 is attached to. bottom of casting II, by screws 58 and 58. The motor 43 is attached to base II, by several bolts indicated at The aye, not-votingand nay circuits of division A are shown at 8|, 82 and 83 respectively. Corresponding circuits of division B are shown .at 84, 85 and 88 respectively; and said circuits of division C are shown at 81, 88 and 88 respectively. The selector herein illustrated contains only these three voting divisions, but selectors may be built with any desired number of voting divisions.

Although differing in names and recording positions, the voting circuits 8| to 88 inclusively are electrically similar. One diagram would serve to illustrateany circuit from H to 83, and such a diagram is shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 8 several voting units, 18, H, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are indicated, and all of them are registering the same kind of vote. Through the several said voting units current from positive battery is shown passing to the several operating contactors I4, which lay in path of wiper end 23b. As wiper ends 28a and 282) are joined together and simultaneously ride over their respective sequences of contactors, impulses of current picked up by wiper end 28b, are transferred to wiper end 28a, and through the operating contactors I4 in its path, over the common conductor 18, to the vote recording solenoids 11 and totalizer vote storing solenoids 18. On occasions when counting is desired without recording, or

when continuous totalization is employed, re- 7 cording solenoids 11 are disconnected by switch blade 18 being thrown from contactor 88 to contactor M, which places inductance coil 85 in the operating circuit in place of vote recording solenoids 11. The purpose of the inductance coil 85 is to permit the recording circuit to possess the same amount of inductance with the recording solenoids 11 connected or disconnected, so the characteristics of the spark controlling condenser 84 and its retardation coil 83 will not become changed or unbalanced when the vote recording solenoids 11 are disconnected from the circuit.

The same general arrangement of placingv inductance coils in circuits when disconnecting operating solenoids therefrom, may also be used in installations where several recorders or totalizers are used but only certain ones of them connected at any one time. Withuse of such inductance coils recorders or totalizers could be connected or disconnected as desired without influencing the spark control circuits.

It isessentiaL. with vote recording systems using the commutation principle, that the commutator or selector contactors be clean at all times, and that sparking be reduced to a minimum or eliminated altogether. The selector I4 paper feed circuit.

contactors shown herein are therefore designed to have their respective wipers make and break contact with them in open air, and in addition a new and efflcient spark control circuit is disclosed.

In a vote recording commutator or selector the wiper must necessarily contact a succession of difiering circuits. Fig. 6 shows a method of directly bridging a succession of different circuit contactors with a single condenser, by means of intermediate contactors i3, interspaced between operating contactors I4, and the use of narrow wiper end 2301. and wide wiper end 29b. This method of spark control confines activity of condenser 84 to a short isolated local circuit. The width of wiper and 28a. is so proportioned, that in conjunction with operating contactors I4 in its path, the desired length of contact is secured for proper operation of vote recording solenoids I1 and totalizer vote storing solenoid 18. Contactors 14 in path of wiper end 28a are connected by conductor I6 to one side of condenser 94. The width of wiper end 281) is so proportioned, that when it is making or breaking contact with any of the operating contactors I4 in its path, it is also bridging one of the intermediate contactors I3, which are joined by conductor 82 to retardation coil 83 and other side of condenser 84. Thus making and breaking of operating current occurs between wiper end 28a and the contactors it in its path, and this point is bridged by condenser 84. Obviously wiper end 29!; must not be wide enough to bridge together two operating contactors I4, but must be wide enough to overlap a single operating contactor I4 and so establish contact with intermediate contactors I3.

Fig. I discloses the electrical theory of the Wide wiper end b contacts all contactors I3 and I4 in its path. Since wiper end 29b overlaps two contactors at a time and all are joined together by conductor 96, the eflfect is the same as if a collecting ring was used at this point. Narrow wiper end 28a contacts in turn each operating contactor I4 in its path, which are joined together by conductor 81. The system of spark elimination shown in Fig. 6 is not required here, since the feed circuit of Fig. '7 is only a local circuit. Hence condenser 88 and retardation coil 89 are merely connected with conductors 86 and 91. which shunts them around the make and break occurring between wiper end 28a and the operating contactors I4 in its path. Each time contact is established at this point, feed solenoids I22 operate, and in my preferred construction, feed the record card one step forward each time they are de-energized. When totaling only is desired, without recording, switch blade 90 can be moved from contactor 9i to contactor 92, opening the feed circuit. This switch is preferably automatically controlled.

Fig. 8 discloses the theory of electrical control for the selector driving motor and brake, and the high speed vote counting mechanism. In this figure the devices indicated as continuous collecting rings, or portions thereof, are, in actual practice, constructed like the left hand view in Fig. 'l,-that is, by connecting all contactors together, and sweeping them with a wide wiper end such as 29b. In Fig. 8 current from positive battery and over conductors 93 and 94, passes through brake release solenoid 49 and selector driving motor 43, to negative lead 95, whenever push button switch 96 is closed momentarily or switch blade 91 is moved from contactor 93 to contactor 99. When momentary switch 96 is closed current from solenoid 49 and motor 43 passes over contactor I00, through wiper ends 291) and 29a, and contactor IIII to negative 95.

'By time finger is removed from momentary switch 90, wiper 29a is contacting contactor. I02, which keeps solenoid 49 and motor 43 energized until wiper 29a completes a full turn and runs of! contactor I02. When switch blade 91 is moved to contactor 99 for continuous totalization, current from solenoid 49 and motor 43 is conducted over wire I03 to negative 95. When switch blade 91 is restored to contactor 99, solenoid 49 and motor 43 continue to be energized until wiper 290. runs on. contactor I02. A suitable condenser I04 and retardation. coil I05 are bridged across wiper 29a. and contactor I02 so that any spark caused by opening of circuit through solenoid 49 andmotor 43 may be controlled.

In Fig. 8, a switch, actually of the automatically controlled type, is indicated by blade I09 and contactor I01, and when this switch is closed the total registering and displaying mechanism is operative. The magnets TI cause the films or equivalent to be moved forward to register all first, or A, division votes. The magnets T2 cause the films or equivalent to be moved forward to register all second, or B, division votes. The magnets T3 cause the films or equivalent to be moved forward to register all third, or C, division votes. The magnets d lock and center the mechanism for moving forward the films or equivalent, before, between and after said movements forward. The lamps e are projection lamps for displaying the totals. It must be remembered that instead of film or some'equivalent thereof, it is also possible to use number wheels, or discs, or drums, for indicating or printing the totals, whenever this form of total registration is preferred. The magnets 11, TI, T2, T3, and lamp e, shown at 90, are for registering the aye vote. Those shown at 912 are for registering the notvoting vote. Those shown at 8c are for registering the nay vote.

The lamps e light when switch NIB-I01 is closed, and then are controlled by wipers 28a and 28b riding on contactors I09 and I09 respectively, which are bridged by condenser H0 and retardation coil III for spark prevention purposes. For single totals, lamps e light, displaying zero totals for half a cycle, are dark for half a cycle while totals are being set up, and then display final totals. For continuous totalization lamps e are on for half a cycle and oil for half a cycle, showing a new total every time they are re-illuminated. Final totals are displayed in both cases until switch I06-I0'I is opened.

In Fig. 8, locking magnets d, and divisionaltotal registering-magnets TI. T2 and T3 are con-v trolled by switch I06-I0I and by wide wiper 29b riding on contactor H2, and narrow wiper 20a contacting the series 0! contactors illustrated. contactors in path of wiper 200. that are connected with conductor II3, control magnets d. The individual contactors in path of wiper 23a that are connected respectively with conductors H4, H6 and H3, control divisional total registering magnets TI, T2 and T3. Retardation coil I34 and condenser I35 bridge the principal break occurring at this point.

Fig. 9 shows at III a section of one or the insulating rings I2. Recesses H9 and H9 accommodate contactors such as I4 and I3 respectively, while tie-rod holes are indicated at I20. The advantage of ring-sections is that they may be die cast from suitable insulating compounds. elimmating the expensive machining of solid rings.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating theory of selector operation through one complete cycle. Wiper I2I is resting on stop-start contactor IIlI ready for a starting impulse. When such impulse is received wiper I 2I contacts contactor I02 and thereby continues to revolve until wiper I2I runs off contactor I02. For approximately three quarters' of this cycle votes are being recorded and stored for counting as indicated by wiper I2I, riding on contactor I23. Then wiper I2I leaves I23, locks and centers the total registering mechanism at I24, registers first division totals at I25, locks and centers at I26, registers second division totals at I21, locks and centers at I28, registers third division or final totals at I29, locks and centers them in position at I30 and at the same time displays them by projection lamps lighting as indicated by wiper I2I contacting contactor I3I. When only a single record or count is made, current is removed from the vote registering circuits by opening of switch I06*-Ill1 after the selector has completed its cycle of operation, which automatically extinguishes projection lamps and permits the films or equivalents to return to their normal or zero position.

With continuous totalization, wherein new totals are displayed each cycle, the old totals are locked and centered in position as long as wiper I2I is riding contactor I30, and said old totals are projected or displayed as long as wiper I2I is riding contactor I3I. When wiper I2I leaves contactors I30 and I3I current is removed from' the vote registering circuits for a period indicated by the arrow-headed line I32, whereupon the films or equivalents are returned to their normal or zero position while the projection lamps are ex- ;tinguished. After old totals are reset in space I32 new totals are set up and locked and centered in position by contactors I24 to I30 inclusively,.

and as the final totals are locked in position they are displayed by wiper I2I contacting contactor I3I.

As films or theirequivalents are automatically reset after completion of each vote by removal of current from vote registering circuits, it is evident that when system is turned on for taking a new vote, zero totals will be displayed until operation of the selector causes new totals to be shown. This may also be seen from the fact that wiper I2I contacts contactors I30 and I3I in its normal position, so these circuits are established when current is turned on.

While wiper I2I is riding contactor I23 and so recording and storing the vote, said wiper is also riding contactor I33 which causes the record card to be fed through the recorder. As indicated by dotted line extension to contactor I33, the feed impulses may continue past the final recording impulses, so the card may be fed entirely out of the recorder. record cards are printed on a roll of tape.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 1; A selector comprising a base member having a recessed housing therein, a multiplicity of superimposed insulating ring members, an end member, means extending through said end member and through each of said superimposed insulated ring members and into the recessed housing of said base member for assembling said ring members in position to form a substantially cylindrical insulated housing, a multiplicity of contact members supported by said ring members and projecting radially inward within said housing,

This is necessary especially when a rotary shaft member journaled between the recessed housing of said base member and said end member, a wiper rack carried by said rotary shaft, a plurality of contact wipers supported by said wiper rack for establishing wiping electrical connection with said contact members as said shaft is rotated, and means mounted within the recessed housing of said base member for positively controlling said shaft member.

2. A selector comprising a base member having a recessed housing therein, a multiplicity of superimposed insulated ring members, an end member, means extending through said end member and through each of said superimposed insulated ring members and into the recessed housing of said base member for assembling said ring members in position to form a substantially cylindrical insulated housing, a multiplicity of contact members supported by said ring members and projecting radially inward within said housing, a rotary shaft member journaled between the recessed housing of said base member and said end member, a plurality of contact wipers supported by said shaft member and coacting with the contact members supported by said ring members for establishing successiveconnection with maintaining said ring members in superimposed relation, a rotatable shaft journaled in said end members, means carried by one of said end members for positively controlling said shaft, a multiplicity of contact members carried by said insulated ring members and projecting radially inward toward said shaft member, and a plurality of contact wipers supported by said shaft member and operative to establish successive electrical connection with the coacting contact members as said shaft is rotated.

4. A selector comprising an end member, a plurality of superimposed insulated ring members supported adjacent said end member, an opposite end member disposed adjacent the opposite end of the group of insulated ring members, means extending between each of said end members for maintaining said ring members in ried by said insulated ring members and projecting radially inward toward said shaft member, a plurality of contact wipers supported. by said shaft member and operative to establish successive electrical connection with the coacting contact members as said shaft is rotated, and a housing engaged with one of said end members and secured to the other of said end members for substantially enclosing all of. said ring members, the contact members carried thereby and the controlling means for said shaft memben.

' 5. A selector comprising an end member, a plurality of superimposed insulated ring members supported adjacent said end member, an opposite end member disposed adjacent the opposite end' of the group of insulated ring members, means extending between each of said endgmembers for maintaining said ring members in super-- imposed relation, a rotatable shaft journaled in said end members, means carried by one of said end members for positively controlling said shaft, a multiplicity of contact members carried by said insulated ring members and projecting radially inward toward said shaft member, a plurality of contact wipers supported by said shaft member and operative to establish successive electrical connection with the coacting contact members as said shaft is rotated, a flange formed on one of. said end members, a screw threaded extension formed on the other of said end members, and a housing wholly enclosing said ring members and the contacts carried thereby, said housing engaging the flange on one of said end members and being secured over the screw threaded extension on the other of said end members.

6. A selector comprising supporting means, a plurality of insulated ring members carried by said supporting means, an end member disposed adjacent the end of the group of insulated rings, means interconnecting said supporting means and said end member for maintaining said insulated rings in superimposed relation, a rotatable shaft journaled between said supporting means and said end member, contact members carried by said insulated ring members and projecting radially inwardly, contact wipers supported by said shaft member for establishing successive electrical connection with coacting contact members as said shaft member is rotatably driven, means for adjusting the transverse relationship of said contact wipers for predetermining the relative time at which connection is established and broken between certain of said contact wipers and certain of. said contact members, and means for positively controlling said shaft member.

7. A selector comprising supporting means, a plurality of insulated ring members carried by said supporting means, an end member disposed adjacent the end of the group of insulated rings,

means interconnecting said supporting means:

and said end member for maintaining said insulated rings in superimposed relation, a rotatable shaft journaled between said supporting means and said end member, contact members carried by said insulated ring members and projecting radially inwardly, an insulated rack carried by said shaft member and extending longitudinally through said ring members, a plurality of con-- tact wipers, and means for mounting said contact wipers on said insulated rack and selectively adjusting the transverse position thereof for predetermining the relative time at which connection is made and broken with the coacting contact members as said shaft member is rotated, and means for positively controlling said shaft member.

8. Selector switch structure comprising an insulated support, a plurality of pairs of fixed contactors mounted in said support with the contactors of each pair in superposed spaced relation, a U-shaped conductive member insulatingly mounted at the base thereof with the arm portions of said member disposed in spaced relation for contacting the contactors of each said pair of fixed contactors, the arm portions of said member comprising separate wipers of diflerent widths, a corresponding plurality of fixed auxiliary contactors mounted in said support intermediate the contactors engageable by the wiper of greater width, and means for moving said U-shaped conductive member for selectively contacting each pair of fixed contactors in bridging relation and said intermediate auxiliary contactors in parallel relation with the respective adjacent contactors of said pairs.

9. Selector switch structure comprising an insulated support, a plurality of pairs of fixed contactors mounted in said support with the contactors of each pair in superposed spaced relation in air, a movable contactor comprising two coacting U-shaped conductive members insulatingly mounted at the bases thereof with the respective arm portions of said members contiguously disposed and coacting to provide wiper clips in spaced relation for engaging the contactors of each said pair of fixed contactors in air, and means for moving said movable contactor for selectively contacting each pair of fixed contactors in bridging relation.

10. Selector switch structure as set forth in claim 9 and including a corresponding plurality of fixed auxiliary contactors mounted in said support intermediate the contactors of. said pairs engageable by one of said wiper clips, the said one of the clips having a longer wiping contact portion than the other of said clips for selectively contacting said intermediate auxiliary contactors in parallel relation to the respective ad- Jacent contactors of said pairs.

CHARLES F. THOMPSON. 

